Choose a Shanghai tailor by agreeing on five things before you order: the garment, the fabric, the total quote, the fitting plan, and the collection date. Bring reference photos and your travel dates, then ask the tailor to explain what is included. A useful consultation should leave you with a clear plan, not just a price.
This guide is published by Kelly’s Tailor Shop. It combines a practical comparison checklist with our own starting prices and studio details, so you can separate general shopping advice from information about our service.
1. Decide what the garment needs to do
Start with the occasion and the way you expect to wear the clothes. A wedding suit, an everyday work jacket, and a relaxed travel outfit can call for different choices. Tell the tailor what matters most: movement, a particular silhouette, easy coordination with your wardrobe, or matching a reference image.
Bring one or two clear reference photos and explain what you like in each. Point to the jacket length, trouser shape, neckline, or overall proportions. If you like the jacket in one photograph but not the trousers, say so. Photos help start the conversation; they do not replace checking the actual fabric and fit.
2. Compare the same details in every quote
A lower headline price is difficult to evaluate if two shops are quoting different garments or fabrics. Ask each tailor to confirm:
- Whether the quote covers one item, a two-piece suit, or a three-piece suit.
- The fabric composition and the exact fabric you have selected.
- Which design details, lining, buttons, and finishing are included.
- How many fittings are planned and how adjustments are handled.
- The total price, deposit, remaining payment, and any separate shipping charge.
Ask to inspect a sample garment and have the maker explain its construction. Do not assume that the word “bespoke” alone tells you how a piece will be made. Keep a written record of the agreed choices so everyone can refer to the same specification.
A waistcoat changes the order: compare the same number of pieces when requesting suit quotes.
3. Look at the fabric before choosing the design
Handle the fabric sample, ask about its composition and care, and discuss where you will wear it. Tell the tailor if the garment is mainly for warm weather, air-conditioned offices, or cooler trips. Ask to see your preferred color under more than one light if possible.
A pattern photograph is useful, but availability still needs confirmation. At Kelly’s, we can look beyond the sample books and search for a particular pattern. Confirm the actual material and quote before treating a reference image as an agreed order.
4. Plan fittings around your actual travel dates
Give both your arrival date and your departure date before agreeing on the order. Leave room for the consultation, fitting, adjustments, and final collection; the first appointment should not be mistaken for the collection appointment.
At Kelly’s, our normal turnaround is less than 7 days, including fitting. Suits can be ready in as little as 3 days, including fitting, but we need to confirm the schedule for your particular order. Send your dates and requirements before relying on an express turnaround.
If delivery is needed after you leave, agree on the destination and discuss the shipping cost and timing separately.
5. Check movement during the fitting
Bring the shoes and base layer you intend to wear with the outfit when practical. Try sitting, walking, and reaching forward. Explain where a garment feels tight or restrictive, rather than judging it only while standing still for a photograph.
For a suit, discuss the jacket’s shoulder line, sleeve and body lengths, trouser length, and how the pieces look together. Ask the tailor what can be adjusted and confirm the next step before leaving the fitting. Kelly’s includes free touch-ups; discuss any further adjustment you would like after wearing your garment.
Look at the garment from the back as well as the front when discussing the fit.
6. Confirm the shop address, not just the market name
The South Bund Fabric Market is a destination with many businesses. Shanghai’s official visitor information now calls it the South Bund Custom Tailoring Center, at 399 Lujiabang Road. Shanghai visitor information
Kelly’s current studio is a different address: Floor 18, Beifang Gongye Dasha, 1228 Zhongshan South Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China. Take the elevator to floor 18. Our studio is open every day, 09:30–18:00, and is about a five-minute walk from the market. Older reviews may still mention our former stall 167, so use the current studio address when planning your visit.
For the market route and a broader shopping overview, see our Shanghai Fabric Market guide.
7. Use starting prices as a conversation starter
At Kelly’s, current starting prices are ¥1,500 for suits, ¥200 for shirts, and ¥800 for dresses. These are our starting prices, not a market-wide price list. Your quote depends on the fabric, design, and number of items.
Send enough information to make a useful quote possible. For example:
Hello Kelly, I will be in Shanghai from [arrival date] to [departure date]. I would like [garment and quantity] for [occasion]. My preferred style is shown in these reference photos, and my budget is [budget]. Can you confirm the consultation, fitting, and collection schedule, and what the quote includes?
We communicate in English. You can send reference photos and measurements in advance, and walk-ins are welcome during studio opening hours.
Your first-visit checklist
Bring your references, travel dates, garment list, and a realistic budget. Before ordering, confirm the fabric, design, total price, fitting plan, collection or shipping details, and current address. Keep the agreed details together so the final fitting has a clear point of reference.
Ready to discuss your order? Start with our services, prices, and studio details.